Commitment

just sign your name --- what is a little debt??? yeah, just sign on the dotted line!!

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I wish I could, actually. See, I'm Binary the Third. My dad's Binary Jr., who was the son of Binary Sr. (of course, my real name's not binary, but that was fun to write). My credit record has items from both me and my dad, and used to have items from my grandfather, but since he died about ten years ago those items have dropped off. So, when they look at my income vs my debts, my wife's debts, and my father's debts (inc. mortgage), all I get is polite laughter.

The manufacturer (Blessing) was clear that if I followed instructions for cleaning and oiling the MONEL pistons (typical approach, nothing special), I should allow 30 to 45 days for a break-in period. I followed instructions and break-in occurred per Blessing's description. The pistons work flawlessly. But I was impatient during the break-in period. It was tedious. Jim

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When I first read the foregoing, I didn't think so much about it as being different than buying a new car and let it pass. On second thought, it may not be so much the mechanism, but the familiarization put forth by the user, and yet the two are essential for lasting performance as is optimum.

If I have to use another 426 keypunch, I think I'd rather die. Really wasn't so much the punching, but getting in the que for a keypunch availability and then being forced to rush the keypunching to get in the next que for when the computer was available to run my program ... only to find I made an error in the keypunching causing failure of my program to complete. Then too, multiple boxes of Hollerith punch cards are difficult to carry along with text books etc. Yep, keypunch data entry was then all binary math. Yes, after many sleepless nights my program completed and I got an A grade. Then too, I had the task of getting the boxes of print out to the commercial binder for submission ... and another que. I'm stiil to ponder if the professor actually read my program or assumed if the computer printed it that it was complete and accurate. Duh!

I thought the concept of building commitment to a trumpet/mouthpiece combination would be a natural potentially useful expansion of the original topic of this thread. The 2009 Blessing BTR-ML1 Bb trumpet pictured below is the one I considered in my OP. I am practicing with it today, and have been thinking about why I keep selecting it over others between scales, exercises, and songs.

Performance. I get a smooth mellow tone across my range from this horn, based upon what I hear in recordings of myself, that is less strident than what I get from most of my other Bb trumpets. I like that tonal character. I play it with a Blessing 5C most of the time that is comfortable and facilitates clean articulation.

Appearance. I confess; I am a sucker for what I believe to be good looking trumpets. Fit and finish on my ML1 is excellent, and durable too. I have played it frequently now for a year and a half, and there is little evidence of wear and tear. Also, though I have written recently about the desirable oligodynamic effects of silver plate for trumpeters, I simply like lacquer better.

Features. I am an average old guy; 6' tall and 190 lbs. All the controls and clearances just fit. I pick it up and playing it seems natural. Also, I appreciate the Amados on the main slide and third valve slide. I can empty the horn quickly with one motion and there is little chance that a main slide setting will be disturbed.

So there you have it; the reasons why I have built commitment to this particular trumpet (and mouthpiece). Is it a promotion for all things Blessing? Certainly not. It is merely recognition of the reasons why this particular instrument and mouthpiece is the combination I seem to use most frequently.

binary, binary code, offset binary ---- it's all just a mess for me!!!! ----- next, your going to tell me that Binaryhulledion -- -is going to change his name to "Hexadecimal" something or other, then there is no way, I can remember all of that from "WAY BACK WHEN" ---- you know linear algebra, calculus, trigonometry, and hexadecimal computer stuff days -- that was a long time ago in my life!!!! and I apparently didn't COMMIT THAT ALL TO MEMORY, or wasn't COMMITTED to remembering it ---- yep, NO MATHMATICAL COMMITMENT on my part!!!